2024, a good year for climate?
Was this a good year for climate?
Hi! I’m Matthew Karmel, founder of the planetary lawyer project and Chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Law Group at Offit Kurman. (Any views expressed are my own. Nothing here is legal advice.)
I started my career as an associate with a single pro bono climate client and am now the head of a cutting edge climate-focused practice group at a full-service AMLaw 200 law firm.
I started this newsletter to help you build your own climate-friendly legal career by sharing hard-won lessons from my own career, short interviews with other climate-focused lawyers, legal developments, and relevant job opportunities.
Was this a good year for climate?
Only time will tell..
This has been an incredibly successful 2024 for the planetary lawyer project.
This newsletter has gone from reaching about 600 lawyers in January 2024, to now reaching more than 1,200 lawyers!
We’re also lucky to have a very engaged community, as we get emails and LinkedIn messages from you regularly.
It’s been great to be able to share advice, make connections, and just be of service.
As the year wraps up, we’ll be taking some time to recharge.
But first, join us on December 19 at 3PM ET for a Justia webinar where Leonard Adler, CEO of Green Jobs Newtork and I will share out thoughtson green jobs for lawyers.
Now onto this week’s opportunities.
Have a lead on a job opening? Share it here.
Did you miss an issue? Want to see all the current job postings? Check out our job board here!
Private Practice
Lateral Hub powers this week's private practice opportunities! Lateral Hub is the online lateral job board for where top-tier large, midsize, and boutique law firms publish openings so you can browse and apply directly - it's free to use, no account required.
You can even get SMS job alerts from Lateral Hub tailored to your practice area and location.
Litigation Junior Associate (Environmental, Product Liability & Mass Torts). Morgan Lewis. Los Angeles. https://lateralhub.com/job/169-0016. Morgan Lewis seeks to hire highly qualified associates with excellent academic credentials and one to three years of large law firm and/or judicial clerkship experience to join our product liability & mass torts and environmental teams within the litigation practice group. Salary Range: $225,000 to $260,000.
Associate, Energy/FERC. Thompson Coburn, Washington, DC. https://lateralhub.com/job/162-0008. Candidates should have 1-4 years of experience with FERC practice, knowledge of oil/natural gas pipeline regulation, and/or knowledge of the regulated energy markets, including ISO/RTO market stakeholder proceedings. Salary range: $185,000 – 220,000.
Associate, Land Use. Cox Castle. Orange County. https://lateralhub.com/job/117-0010 Cox Castle is seeking a land use associate (2-4 yrs) with experience in land use (project entitlements, administrative proceedings, and litigation), including environmental review under CEQA, the Coastal Act, the Map Act. Salary range: $210,000-$240,000.
Associate, Energy Regulatory & Markets Group. Latham & Watkins, Washington DC. https://lateralhub.com/job/143-0033/. Latham is seeking an associate with a minimum of 3 years of federal energy regulatory experience, including experience practicing before FERC with respect to power and/or natural gas. Salary range: $260,000 – 365,000.
Associate, Environmental Litigation. Shartsis Friese, San Francisco. https://lateralhub.com/job/121-0007/ Shartsis Friese, a top midsize firm in San Francisco, is seeking an associate with 3+ years of solid environmental litigation and counseling experience. Candidates should have experience assisting clients in environmental matters involving state and federal environmental laws, including laws regulating hazardous and solid waste, water, air and endangered species, as well as California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) issues. Experience with land use litigation is a plus. Salary range: $ 235,000 - 265,000.
Associate, Environmental Transactional. Proskauer, New York. https://lateralhub.com/job/146-0003. Proskauer is seeking a jr./mid-level associate (2-4 yrs) with experience at a large firm in handling the environmental transactional aspects of complex M&A, private equity, financing, and real estate matters. Experience with environmental regulatory compliance matters, brownfield clean-up and other remedial matters, and matters relating to sustainability, climate change and renewable energy is preferred. Salary Range: $215,000- 415,000.
Associate, Environmental. Duane Morris, Houston. https://lateralhub.com/job/156-0020 . Candidates should have 2-4 years of environmental law experience and will provide legal support for clients on a wide variety of transactional, commercial, regulatory, enforcement and remediation matters.
Hydropower Energy (FERC) Associate. Troutman Pepper, DC or Portland. https://lateralhub.com/job/110-0117 The firm is seeking an associate with three to six years of experience in energy regulatory matters focused on hydropower matters. Salary range: $250,000-$345,000.
Associate, Energy & Climate Solutions/Tax. Wilson Sonsini. Multiple locations. https://lateralhub.com/job/154-0051. Wilson Sonsini is seeking a tax associate with 3-6 years of substantial renewable energy project finance transactional experience at a major law firm. The candidate must have experience representing sponsors, investors and/or tax credit buyers in tax equity and tax credit transfer transactions with respect to solar, wind, or energy storage project assets. Salary range: $260,000 – $390,000.
Energy & Project Development Junior/Midlevel Associate (Nuclear Regulatory). Morgan Lewis. Washington, D.C. https://lateralhub.com/job/169-0037. The successful applicant must have an interest in the area of Nuclear Energy and be eligible to acquire a District of Columbia bar membership (or already be a member of the DC bar). U.S. nuclear regulatory experience and a background in science or engineering would be helpful, but are not required if the individual has a strong regulatory background. Salary range: $225,000 to $365,000. No minimum experience noted.
Energy and Project Development Midlevel Associate. Morgan Lewis. Multiple locations. https://lateralhub.com/job/169-0030. Seeking a midlevel associate with 4-5 years of large law firm experience to join our energy and project development practice. The successful applicant must possess energy related transactional experience, and the preferred candidate will have tax equity and/or debt financing experience. Salary range: $225,000 to $435,000.
Associate, Renewable Energy Project Development. Troutman Pepper, Washington, DC. https://lateralhub.com/job/110-0021 . 4-7 years of project finance and development experience, including experience with M&A, EPCs, O&M, development, supply agreements, power purchase agreements, and project finance, ideally with renewable energy and/or infrastructure projects. Salary Range: $275,000 - $370,000.
Associate, Land Use. Allen Matkins. Orange County. https://lateralhub.com/job/137-0031. Allen Matkins is seeking a land use attorney (4-7 yrs) with experience in land use due diligence, processing entitlements, and environmental review under CEQA. Salary range: $250,000 - 315,000.
Attorney, Energy & Utilities. Ice Miller. Indianapolis and Columbus. https://lateralhub.com/job/122-0044. Candidates must have 5-7 years of experience in either the public or private sector with experience in any of the following areas: energy law; utility regulatory law; and regulated industries. Experience with real property and/or contract law is preferred.
Water Litigation Sr. Associate. Downey Brand, Sacramento. https://lateralhub.com/job/164-0002. The firm seeks an attorney with 5-8 years’ experience to support its water litigation practice. Litigation experience including in both federal and state court related to a broad range of water issues is required. Salary Range: $185,000-215,000.
Sr. Attorney, Energy/FERC. Thompson Coburn, Washington, DC. https://lateralhub.com/job/162-0009. Candidates should have a minimum of seven years of experience with FERC practice, including FERC litigation and settlement, experience with and knowledge of the regulated energy markets, including ISO/RTO market stakeholder proceedings, background advising clients regarding energy and/or capacity market participation issues and power supply arrangements. Salary range: $240,000 – 280,000.
Sr. Associate, Renewable Energy Real Estate. Husch Blackwell, Any HB office, including fully virtual. https://lateralhub.com/job/159-0009. Candidates should have a minimum of seven years of experience with wind, solar, and/or battery storage real estate transactions. Salary range for select offices: $225,000 - $260,000.
Energy & Infrastructure/PPA Projects Associate. Orrick - all US office locations. https://lateralhub.com/job/116-0045. Orrick currently is seeking an associate for its market-leading Energy & Infrastructure practice, with experience in the areas of energy projects work relating to renewables and energy storage, and specifically focused on energy offtake. Salary range: $260,000 - $435,000.
Sr. Associate, Environmental Litigation. Allen Matkins. SF, LA, Orange County, or San Diego. https://lateralhub.com/job/137-0026. Allen Matkins is seeking a senior environmental attorney (7-10 yrs) with a wide range of regulatory defense and administrative enforcement matters, including CERCLA, RCRA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and related California statutes. Salary range: $315,000 – 345,000.
Associate, Energy & Climate Solutions/Tax. Wilson Sonsini. Multiple locations. https://lateralhub.com/job/154-0051. Wilson Sonsini is seeking a tax associate with 3-6 years of substantial renewable energy project finance transactional experience at a major law firm. The candidate must have experience representing sponsors, investors and/or tax credit buyers in tax equity and tax credit transfer transactions with respect to solar, wind, or energy storage project assets. Salary range: $260,000 – $390,000.
In-House
Senior Corporate Counsel. Impossible. Remote. https://jobs.lever.co/impossiblefoods/90356a02-d56f-41a6-bda5-4095d25d834a. 6 years of combined relevant experience. $160,000 - $204,480 a year. Impossible Foods was founded to transform the global food system and reduce the impact of climate change by making the world’s most delicious, nutritious, and sustainable meat, fish, and dairy — from plants.
Sr. Counsel. Energy Transfer. Sr Counsel. Energy Transfer. 6 years of experience. https://energytransfer.referrals.selectminds.com/ETP/jobs/sr-counsel-12815. Energy Transfer, recognized by Forbes as one of America's best large employers, is dedicated to responsibly and safely delivering America’s energy.
Employment & Labor Law Counsel. Casella Waste Systems. VT. https://careers-casella.icims.com/jobs/6045/employment-%26-labor-law-counsel/job?mobile=false&width=1087&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-360&jun1offset=-360. 5-8 years of experience specializing in employment law. Casella Waste Systems is driven to help solve the world’s sustainability challenges one community at a time by using its collective talents to renew and sustain the planet’s limited resources.
General Counsel. Solar Cycle. Arizona. https://www.solarcycle.us/careers?gh_jid=4594791007. At least 10 years of experience as General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel in a technology company. Our experts in solar, recycling and sustainability created SOLARCYCLE to solve this challenge at scale.
General Counsel. UPSIDE Foods. Berkeley, CA. https://upsidefoods.com/careers/6221067003-general-counsel?gh_jid=6221067003. 15+ years of legal experience, including at least 5 years in a senior legal leadership role within a high-growth, transformative industry (food tech, biotech, or other innovative sectors); Compensation Range: $285,000 - $315,000. At UPSIDE Foods, we’ve spent nearly a decade working together to create cultivated meat that’s good for people and our planet.
Government and Non-Profit
Attorney Advisor (General). Department of Commerce. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. MA. https://www.usajobs.gov/job/819327100/print. Pay scale & grade: GS 12 – 15. Salary: $98,240 - $191,900 per year. The Attorney Advisor will join a national team of civil enforcement attorneys who are charged with protecting ocean ecosystems, living marine resources, and marine sanctuaries.
Associate Attorney. Southern Environmental Law Center. Atlanta, GA. https://www.southernenvironment.org/career/associate-attorney-2/.0-3 years of post-law school professional experience; $79,000-$92,300 depending on experience. We are the Southern Environmental Law Center — the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental legal advocacy organization rooted in and focused on the South.
Staff Attorney. Southern Environmental Law Center. Charleston, SC. https://www.southernenvironment.org/career/project-attorney-energy/. Minimum of 3 years in energy policy and utility regulation. Starting at $103,300 (with additional details provided based on experience level). We are the Southern Environmental Law Center — the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental legal advocacy organization rooted in and focused on the South.
Senior Attorney/Litigator. Southern Environmental Law Center. Asheville, NC; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Chapel Hill, NC; Charleston, SC; Charlottesville, VA – Virginia Office; Nashville, TN; Washington, DC. https://www.southernenvironment.org/career/senior-attorney-litigator/. Seven or more years of litigation experience, with a background in environmental law preferred but not required; The starting salary range for this position is $150,000 – $170,000, commensurate with experience. We are the Southern Environmental Law Center — the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental legal advocacy organization rooted in and focused on the South.
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